Japan conveys message to China after travel warnings

In an ongoing dispute over Taiwan, Japan has called on China to take “appropriate measures” after Beijing warned Chinese citizens not to visit Japan, Kyodo news agency reported.

In the report, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Japan had “conveyed the message to China and strongly asked it to take appropriate steps.”

He was not quoted as providing detailed information about the measures.

China on Friday warned its citizens not to visit Japan amid controversy sparked by comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

He said last week that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could escalate into a “life-threatening situation” and potentially trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Kihara said Japan and China have different views on the issue and it is vital to maintain communication, Kyodo reported.

China claims to govern Taiwan democratically and has not ruled out using force to seize control of the island, which is just 110 km from Japanese territory.

Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Japanese leaders have previously avoided explicitly mentioning Taiwan when discussing such scenarios, perpetuating “strategic ambiguity” that Tokyo’s main security ally, the United States, supports.

Three Chinese airlines said on Saturday that tickets to Japan could be refunded or changed for free, according to state media China News Service.

Taiwan Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said China’s travel restrictions on Japan and live-fire drills in surrounding areas have drawn attention to regional developments.

He said Beijing’s “politically motivated, multifaceted threats against Japan pose a serious danger to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”

China’s Maritime Safety Administration said live-fire drills would be held in parts of the Central Yellow Sea at all hours of the day from Monday to Tuesday and entry to the area would be prohibited, according to official media CCTV, which did not specify the area.